


A Town Called Nipton

by houseOfTheQueen



Category: Fallout: New Vegas, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Caesar's Legion, Crossover, F/F, Lapis PoV, NCR | New California Republic, Nipton (Fallout), some blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 03:11:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13515438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/houseOfTheQueen/pseuds/houseOfTheQueen
Summary: An alternate universe where Lapis Lazuli is the Courier and Peridot is the Lone Wanderer leads our heroes to the site of an atrocity committed by one of the greatest threats the Mojave has ever seen - Caesar’s Legion.





	A Town Called Nipton

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all,  
> This is a bit of fanfiction that was inspired by Peebee's (https://peebeesbackwardsgun.tumblr.com/) Fallout AU for Steven Universe. She does some great art over on Tumblr, give her a look. In this AU, Lapis is the Courier and Peridot is the Lone Wanderer. Hope y'all enjoy.

PROLOGUE

To say that these are troubled times is the right of every generation. Peridot and Lapis Lazuli are no exception to this rule. They survived the horrors of the Capitol Wasteland, in the ruins of Washington DC. Separated by fate, they once again crossed paths in the Mojave Wasteland, Lapis’ home. The Bear of the New California Republic and the Bull of Caesar’s Legion loom large over New Vegas and the Hoover Dam, the seats of power in the Southwest. As the hour of a new war draws near, smoke gathers on the horizon for the town of Nipton. Our heroes, reunited in the nearby Mojave Outpost, spend a final night in peace. 

PROSPECTUS

I had forgotten how warm blooded Peri was. Is, I reminded myself. She is right here, in your arms. It had been years and was still taking some getting used to. But there was a familiarity to her weight, her breathe coasting across my neck, that made me find it hard to move. There was just one problem. Out on the East Coast, in the cold of winter, it had been a blessing to have the little fireball to curl up next to.

The Mojave was blazing. There was no getting around that. Even in the cool of the night, I was sweating with Peridot curled up against me. I had to get some air. Everything was sticky, to the point that with each movement I could feel our skin coming unstuck. It was enough to drive a person crazy. Feeling the call to get up, I brought my eyes down to Peridot. She was still sound asleep, marks of our recent reunion stretching down her back for my eyes to feast on. She had gotten even more lean in the past few years, if that was possible. The scar across her forehead was a weak splash of silver in the halogen lights filtering in from outside. I rubbed a thumb over it, then up through her blonde hair. She mumbled in her sleep. And I edged my way out of the bed.

Outside of our rented room in the barracks, the party was still going. It had mellowed out somewhat, with just a few stolid card players remaining. I could pick out Garnet and Cassidy still in the running and I raised a hand as I headed for the door out of the barracks.

A welcome chill, like sinking back into the water, met my skin as I walked out and looked around the outpost. In the canyon that the NCR has established their outpost in, wind whistled through, from civilization to the unconquered. It picked up a colony of dust and whistled its way amongst the buildings of the outpost. The chain link fences were woeful barriers to keep it out. Seems like change is in the air.

This was what I had been looking for, I decided. My home turf had seemed wrong ever since I had set foot back inside of it. The Powder Gangers going after an innocent town, gangsters taking over another. It had been safe to walk the roads in the days past. At least for a courier. Nobody messed with the mail. It was part of why I had started working in the field. And now that Peridot was back, things could start to get better. She seemed to have that effect wherever she went. Before her arrival, the people eking out an existence in the Capital Wasteland had been on the verge of dying out. Peridot had given everything to bring them back from the brink. I just had to keep her alive long enough to bring back that feeling of safety to my homeland.

Wandering along the fence line, I dug in my pockets and pulled out my pack of Lucky Strikes. It was only after sticking one between my teeth that I found a potential problem.

Maybe the sentry has a lighter.

I made my way up the ramp onto the roof of the security post and was only mildly surprised to see Ranger Ghost still at her post. She was one of the old breed, the Nevada Rangers. Where the New California Republic had fully militarized and had their Rangers in uniform, the Nevada Rangers still had flair. Though she had taken off her mirror sunglasses, she still wore a Nevada State bandana around her neck and balanced a straw hat at a jaunty angle. Not wanting to sneak up on her, I scuffed my boots and saw her tip her head in acknowledgement after a moment.

“Do you ever sleep, Ghost?”

“Sleep is for the damned.” She hacked back at me. I raised the cigarette like a peace branch and after a moment she accepted the gesture. I dug another out of the pack and pulled up an ammo can to join her.

“What’s got you up and about, courier?”

“Too hot. Wanted some air. Could you … yeah, thanks for the light. What’s the haps?”

“See that?”

“There’s many that’s.”

Given her deadpan stare, I decided it might be worthwhile to actually take her seriously. In the dark of the night, her eyes seemed to pin me until I nodded. Following her pointing finger, I looked out over what we could see.

From its position at the mouth of the canyon that the Long 15 ran through, you could see clear to New Vegas on a good night. That was the brightest light in the sky, but there were others. Novac, Primm, and Nipton all shone in the dark as well, carrying the message that yes, even here in the desert, civilization had found a way to live on. In the darker parts of the sky, I placed where the NCR prison, the Dam, and Boulder City would be. On first glance, I did not see what the ranger was gesturing to. I had to follow the line of her finger a little bit more intently.

“Nipton?”

“Yeah.”

“What about it?”

It was normal enough, to my eye. At least, upon first examination.

“So...?”

Her index finger remained leveled at the bright spot and, sighing, I worked to focus in on it. There was something about the light, like seeing something that you knew was instinctually wrong and just not quite being able to put your finger on the problem. Electric lights, across a desert, can twinkle. Something about the moisture in the air, Peridot or Pearl would have been able to explain it better. This was that, just turned up to an even greater degree. I squinted, and then let out a breath.

“Does Nipton usually have a bonfire?”

Ghost’s finger lowered and she shook her head. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

“Not unless they’re having a party. And it’s not the right time for that, for them. No, this is different. That smoke’s black. Probably tires.”

That people did not cook anything over tires, that vulcanized rubber was hard enough to come by now that burning any quantity of it was itself almost a crime, that did not need to be said. I drew on the cigarette, watched the clean white smoke drift out of my nose. There was something coming.

I tried to ward it off.

“It could be an attack on the town. That nest of ants down the road is close enough that they could stray over there.”

“Maybe.” It was said with about as much conviction as I had thrown out my suggestion.

“Look, Lazuli. I can’t pay you anything. But if you’re looking for some work, the NCR ... I’d appreciate it if you took a look into Nipton in the morning. If those fires are still burning when dawn comes, I need eyes in that town so that we can know what’s going on. There’s a couple of our guys that go down there every now and then, for a bit of tail.” Almost as an afterthought, she added more softly “It’s probably Powder Gangers. Since the prison break, they’ve decided that they own this stretch of highway.”

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the town. It felt like I had watched flames like this before, from a distance. It was not quite the same feeling as Raven Rock. That had been while I was on the run and I had know what caused it. This was the sort of fire like the old days, when I had still worn a collar. When the Legion had marched. 

We stayed like that for a few more hours, smoking our way down through the rest of the pack. Ghost was not actually bad company, when it came down to it. I mainly watched the horizon, thinking. And she seemed fine to let me be. It’s probably a peaceful place for her, under the watchful gaze of that big Ranger statue on the hill. Finally, the last of the cigs disappeared into our lungs. I rubbed my eyes while Ghost checked her watch.

“Best go below and catch some shut eye. Dawn’ll be here in a few hours. I’ll give you a knock if the fire’s still going.”

I nodded again. Please, just be smoke.

I had been up on the roof long enough for the last people in the bar to call it a night. Cassidy was asleep at the card table, bundled in a blanket and what looked to be Garnet’s duster. The Crystal Gem herself was nowhere to be seen, probably having retreated to her own room.

“Like a sane person.” I mumbled to myself ryely. If I was going to be up in a few hours, I would need the sleep. I found myself moving down the hall to my room. Our room. Peridot was waiting for me. I could smell her, could feel her skin, the weight of her body against my breasts. Maybe it was just the night air, but I decided that I could stand the heat for a bit longer.

When morning came, I knew that I would not be having a lucky day. The throbbing at my temples and the questioning mumble deep in Peridot’s throat showed that it was still earlier than any reasonable person would be up. Wiping the sand from my eyes, I could see grey light filtering in from the tiny overhead slit. A second knock came at the door, and I wiggled my way out from under Peridot, protests be damned.

I threw my leathers on before answering the door and stepping into the hallway with Ranger Ghost. With day, she had returned her sunglasses to their natural place. A raised eyebrow was all the prompting that she needed.

“Smoke hasn’t stopped. Are you still willing to run into town?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” If anything, her tone grew more serious as she dropped her glasses to look me in the eyes. “Listen, I’m not asking for your life. You hear? I just need eyes and ears. If there’s trouble, if that is Powder Gangers, just come on back and report.” A quick glance down to the side.

I gave her my best big toothed grin. “I’m always careful.”

“Right. I’m going to sleep. See you this afternoon.”

I watched her trek down the hall and then went to reopen the door. Peridot managed to get herself leaning up against the wall next to the door, yawning, but I had seen all the moves in the book. Someone had been eavesdropping. With a wolfish grin, I closed the door behind me.

Peridot yawned for emphasis, going for a casual lean against the wall.

I stepped into her bubble and wrapped my arms around her waist, turning her so her back was against the wall. “You know Peri, they say eavesdropping is rude. Not that I was ever one to judge.”

“I-I don’t know what you mean. I just got up. Definitely didn’t hear anything. Nope.”

“Nothing?” I asked sweetly.

“Not one b- please don’t go.”

“wWhat?”

She was done acting the part.

“Wherever you’re planning on going, please don’t. I just found you again, and if you leave -“ I leaned my forehead against hers. She continued, more softly. “If I lose you again.”

“Don’t be silly, Vault Girl.” She grumped at me and I laughed. “Now that I have you back, you are not leaving my side.”

“Ever?”

“Never ever. I’ll follow you into the bathroom stall and make sure all of the Crystal Gem meetings are super awkward.”

Green eyes flickered from one of mine to the other. Peridot grinned slowly, and leaned in for a kiss. I obliged her, happily.

“So what’s the job?”

We were suited up and in the NCR’s breakfast line in about 20 minutes. They had a grill set up next to the chow wagon and were serving a good 20 troopers who were about to go on shift. There was a mute apprehension in the air: people leaned in closer, conversations were muted, and weapons were clutched a little more tightly. In the light of day, the pall over Nipton was more clearly visible. Though the town itself was in a dip in the road that covered it from our view, there were three towering pillars of black smoke over it. It was hard to avoid them, hard to ignore them, but most of the troopers seemed to be doing their best to do just that.

Peridot had strapped on the Reilly's Rangers armor plates over the cargo pants and button up shirt from yesterday. There were a few more scars than the last time I had seen the thing, a few more reminders of the miles between here and the East Coast. As I looked at her, Peridot caught my eye. Something must have shown through, because she threw an arm around my waist casually and asked in a low voice.

“What’s on y’alls mind, hon?”

“Oh, god. Peridot, stick to the Vaulter accent. It fits you a lot more than the southern lilt.”

She scrunched her nose, but would not be deterred. “You’re giving me a look.”

“I...I should have come with you. I should have waited. I shouldn’t have run.” The last came more slowly. “I always run.”

“Well, I’m here now. And I didn’t have to make the journey alone. Yeah, it would have been better with you. But I made it. And like you said, we can stick together now.” Peridot smiled weakly. “I promise not to die this time.”

I did my best not to cry in public. It came out as a impish grin. A few minutes later, we had our tins full of rations and were headed for the front gate. Peridot and I had decided not to rouse the Crystal Gems. They were probably even more tired than us and they could watch over Steven. All going according to plan, we’d be back by mid afternoon anyways.

The sergeant at arms at the gate at least seemed to know where we were going. Sipping on a cup of coffee, he watched us approach. He had on the standard NCR trooper outfit, though his was rolled to the elbows to show an array of tattoos over the length of his arms. I thought I might have caught a hint of Viper art in there, but I could not be sure. When we got close, he nodded in greeting.

“Ranger Ghost told me to expect you, Lapis Lazuli. Peridot.” He waved over at the troopers by the gate, who started swinging the wire open.

“Thanks, sergeant.” Peridot said, chipper as all demonic morning people are.

He grunted, watching his men with the meditative calm of a ready to pounce spider. Almost offhandedly, he spoke. “Some of our boys were in Nipton last night. Major doesn’t mind them going in, as long as they don’t get up to too much trouble... If you see em on the road back, tell them their drunk, AWOL asses will be digging latrines for the rest of their days.”

Peridot looked somewhat appalled, while I just smiled and waved as we walked out the gate and started on our way into town.

Out on the road, it felt even more like the old days. Just the two of us, winding our way along the cracked highway. Looking for trouble. The first few minutes were filled with the whistling of the wind through the canyon. Taking quick bites of our food. And at least for me simply relishing in the company. It took my mind back to the Capitol Wasteland. Winding our way along the surviving overpasses surrounding that ancient seat of power. It had always been the two of us. As we made it nearer the end of the canyon, about 20 minutes of walking lay behind us. From what I remembered, Nipton was a good five hour walk, one way. I adjusted the slings of my weapons. Checked the horizon.

Peridot burped.

I slowly turned my gaze to eye her and she gave me a sheepish shrug in return.

"What can I say? Ted back there makes a mean beans and pork." She rubbed her stomach demonstratively.

I grinned. "Haven't gotten used to the grub, yet?"

"No." Dot smiled wryly. "Food's supposed to come in a can or wrapped in plastic. Maybe, maybe if I'm feeling adventurous, on a roasting spit."

"Oh, this is going to be good."

"What?"

"I've got a lot to teach you. This is my home." I spread my arms before me, indicating my complete mastery of the lands before me.

"Oh, do tell, master. What does the great Lapis Lazuli have to teach?"

"Food, sand, and how to roll the dice and keep your kidneys."

"Sand?"

"Oh, its itchy, irritating, gets everywhere." I smirked.

"I know. Don't remind me."

"Sandy cheeks." That got a blush out of her and I cackled at her expense. “Also how to tan.” Though she had been out of the hole in the ground for long enough, Peridot still had skin that refused to do anything but burn. 

Time passed. She filled me in more on the journey that she and the Crystal Gems had made from the East Coast. Though in some ways it mirrored my own, I saw the great distance coming alive again with Peridot's retelling. She had a way of making the story come to life. Mainly through childish explosion noises and dramatic hand gestures. There had apparently been a large number of explosions along the way. Mixed in with it all, I got the sense that Peridot had grown. When we had traveled together out East, she had been 18, just barely out of the Vault and naive as a new puppy. Somewhere along the way, she had picked up a more mature look at the world that did nothing to mar her childlike enthusiasm for discovering new things and helping people. 

I hoped that I could measure up to that change.

I knew that I would be able to, if I put my mind to it. She would be there each step of the way, and maybe we would be able to make things a little bit better in the Mojave.

With each mile, we drew closer to Nipton. With each hour that passed, the voice in the back of my mind grew stronger. It told me that the NCR troopers had not passed us on the way back into base. That someone had to be there fueling those fires. That the Powder Gangers in Primm might have fragmented when I crashed through their ranks. That this might be my own doing, I did not share with Peri. I did not want to bring her down.

At least, I tried not to let it show through. I think she noticed, near the time that we crested a final rise and the town floated into sight. That put a lot of personal questions to the side, though.

Someone was calling us here. Not Peridot and I. Simply anyone that would come. All along the highway into the town, stretching almost 50 yards past the last of the buildings, was a tire fire. This close, my eyes were starting to water with the stench. 

"Nobody out in the street." Peridot had unslung her rifle and was looking through the glass down into the town. "Looks like a small enough place. How many people live there?"

"When I was here last, about 60. Probably 3 homesteading families, and the rest merchants in town. Maybe less now." Nipton was a stop on the road. That was the reason for being. There was nothing to mine, no water to irrigate with, no old surplus or scrap to scrounge. It was there to provide services for the road. I had spent nights in the hotel, had drank Pacificos in the bar. There should have been people.

"Whatcha think?"

"Let's go in."

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

I glanced over. Peridot, for all the tone of that last, was game. She was just as curious as I was and nearly as concerned. To top that off, she was not one to run away from a bit of conflict and good deeds if it came down to it.

It was worse, the closer in we got. The acrid burning rubber smell went straight to the back of my nose and then started to spread. My head started to pound. Then I got an undercurrent of something worse and had to stop. My stomach growled. That was burning meat, wafting just beneath the rubber. I wrapped a bandana over my nose. Peridot put on a respirator mask, and dropped a pair of goggles down over her eyes. Black smoke swirled along the roads, like a curtain. We dropped into it. I could barely see more than a few feet in front of me. Please let it be Powder Gangers.

The smoke cleared enough to see after a few moments and I drew up short. It was only once we were no longer standing in the depths of the cloud that I could make out the source of the blaze. There was a jumble of tires and logs as thick as my thighs, piled higher than me and reaching further back from the road further than I could see. Whoever set this wanted it to burn for a long time. They must have had planning ahead of time to bring in this much fuel for the fires. In a few spots near the middle of the pile, bits of white poked through. It took me a few moments to get my eyes to focus on them and when they had I wished I had remained ignorant. There were bodies in the depths of the pile. They seemed to writhe with the flames. Turning my eyes back to the road, I checked on Dot. She was crouched, holding a piece of paper. When I stepped up beside her, she mutely held up the gray, ash streaked blob. It was crudely drawn, but I could recognize the words "Lottery ticket" and "Nevada State Lottery Commission".

"They’re blowing all over the place from ..." Peridot weakly waved an arm at the blaze.

"Come on."

I was bending over to help her up when a figure bolted out of the smoke by the general store. He was a Powder Ganger, if his clothes were anything to go by: the NCR correctional stripes, the work boots. Smoked stained glasses perched on his nose, the lenses nearly as dark as welders goggles. One of my hands found its way to rest on the butt of the pistol at my waist, while I sensed Peridot shouldering her rifle next to me. He kept coming, in a run that looked more and more erratic the closer he got. His eyes.

"I won!" He waved his hands manically. "Who won the lottery? I did! Smell that air. Couldn't you just drink it like booze?" He cackled, running his hands through his hair.

"This lottery?" Peridot asked warily, holding up the crumpled piece of paper.

The man could not see and after a moment took off his glasses to wipe them on his shirt. His pupils were pinpricks in his eyes and sweat poured down his face. "Yeah! But you guys didn't win. I did! I'm a winner!"

"Are you a Powder Ganger?" I managed to get out, coughing up some smoke.

"What? Oh, yeah, sure, used to be. But Powder Gang's small time. I won the motherfucking lottery!"

"Are you ... feeling okay? Do you need anything?" Peridot asked.

"Never felt better. Oh, man smell that air."

Glasses man seemed to lose interest in us after that. Peridot and I had a quick non-verbal conference on whether we would be able to get anything else out of him, which largely ended when Dot gestured at his pants. Checking the guy's pants, I grimaced. There was a definite stain running down the leg. I had seen people break before. Back before I became a courier, when I had still worn a collar as a Legion slave. I had been broken myself, for a time, before I managed to escape. This guy was there, staring into the bonfire like he had no point of reference for what was going on.

I stepped past him and heard Peridot follow a moment later. He seemed content to stand there, catching his breath and trying to rub his glasses clean.

"NCR, Powder Gang, the town. That leaves..."

A red banner with a golden bull in the center hung from the corner of the general store.

If I could condense everything that flag meant to me, I would be a better person. I would be whole. Unfortunately for the Legion, I was still working towards that point. The tension that had been boiling just below the surface turned into a full on hate. Three pillars of smoke, three piles of burning town folk. They had slaughtered everyone. And I would do the same to them. 

“That’s Legion, right?” 

I jumped. I had almost forgotten that Peridot was here. Nodding towards the flag, I replied “Yeah.”

She was quiet for a moment. Finally, Dot adjusted her glasses and returned her gaze to me. “What do you want to do?” 

“See if there’s anyone still here.”

Nipton was set up like a T, with the horizontal street being the highway that we had made our way in on this morning and the vertical street being the one main street of the town. The hotel, general store, and one of the boarding houses faced each other across this Main Street. A few outlying buildings served as housing for the rest of the populace. 

Turning the corner onto the main drag, I lost a little of my steam. It took a few moments to process what was in front of me. And then my rage turned cold. Come on, keep it together. There were crucifixions bracketing the street. They were a favorite of the Legion, whether it was for their own or for profligates - their word for outsiders. These were simply posts, not crosses. I shivered: some might have viewed the fact that the simple post design could kill within hours instead of the days of torture a cross would force as a sign of mercy. I had more of a feeling that it was a matter of expediency. My mind went to the east coast, to the banks of trees along each side of the roads. There was no such beauty here in the Mojave. It was impossible to tell if the figures on the crosses were townies, NCR, or Powder Gang: they had all been stripped of their clothes. Checking on Peridot, I reached over and turned her head to face me. 

“We have a job to do. Stay with me. Please.” 

She nodded and fixed her eyes on the end of the street. I resolved to do the same, though I found that the posts and their human cargo hard to avoid. 

The town hall was the tallest building in the town, by virtue of its position on a slight rise. It had definitely been expanded since the last time that I passed through here. Most of the windows on the upper floor were boarded with plywood sheeting, while those on the bottom sported wax paper windows. They were like pale eyes watching as we approached. Two legion flags stood guard outside. There were bullet holes peppering the twin front doors. I snapped a hand to the stock of my shotgun as the door on the left opened. 

My shotgun was leveled at the man’s chest ... the Legionnaire’s chest as he cleared the doorway. He was in his mid thirties, with a narrow face that had been clawed by the winds of the desert. There was a dog’s head, one of the trophies worn by Legion Lieutenants, smiling from above this same face. His armor looked like pictures I had seen of football pads from the old world. It was painted in the silver and maroon that the Legion seemed to favor, since they modeled themselves off of the Roman Empire soldiers of the same name. Smooth corded muscle shone in his arms as he smiled and casually raised his hands. 

“Relax. I won’t have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates. It’s actually useful to me that you two happened by.” His voice was surprisingly soft. “I want you to witness the fate of Nipton. To memorize every detail. And then, when you move on?” At this, a coyote’s smile crossed his lips. “I want you to teach everyone you meet the lesson that Caesar’s Legion taught here today, especially any NCR you meet.” 

As Peridot and I stared at him, more of his comrades began to filter out of the town hall. 

“What “lesson” did you teach?” I asked. The question came involuntarily, a momentary lapse to the past when I had served creatures like him. 

He smiled again, this time more gently, as if happy to have an audience. “Where to begin? That they are weak and we are strong. This much is known already. But the depths of their moral sickness, their dissolution? Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson. Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt, serving all comers so long as they paid. Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as myself - the people here didn’t care. It was a town of whores.” 

He started to pace. By this time, four more of the Legion and two dogs had joined him. While he seemed at ease to talk, the rest eyed us wearily. They were all armed and armored. The dogs were lean, with blood matted fur and a collection of scars. Together, they might have even been more than we could handle. The mouth, the dog head, started talking again, a fire in his eyes. 

“For a pittance the town agreed to lead those it had sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprung it did they realize that they were inside it too. Yes, and herded them to the center of town. I told them their sins, the foremost being disloyalty. I told them that when Legionnaires are disloyal, some are punished, while the rest are made to watch. And then I announced the lottery.”

I shuddered, and realized that I had lowered my coach gun. It all seemed too heavy. 

“They each clutched to their tickets, hoping it would set them free. They did nothing as ‘loved ones’ were dragged away to be killed.” 

“You slaughtered innocent civilians.” Peridot did not so much ask the question as the statement slid out of her. 

“Innocent? Hardly.” That laugh will stay with me for the rest of my life. “Cowardly, yes. They outnumbered us, yet not once did they try to resist. They stood and watched as we shot, butchered, burned, and crucified our way through the town.” He waved his hand back the way that we had come. “They stood like the NCR at the Mojave Outpost, hoping their turns would not come. Until they were all gone but one. He was to spread our message, but his sanity was … questionable, when I saw him last.” 

I stared him down. He seemed to have reached the end of what he would say. 

“You know? I don’t think I’m going to be spreading your message. I’m going to make you pay for your crimes.” 

I swung the shotgun up. Peridot joined me. The rest of the Legionnaires tensed into ready positions. Dog head just shook his head, seemingly disappointed. 

“All crimes are unforgivable. If you feel strongly about it, attack us. And soon you won’t feel a thing.” 

It was a long moment. Four on two and they had automatic weapons to our bolt rifle and double barrel. Long odds. I had faced down power armored foes, had hunted Yao Guai. I was willing to die, if it meant taking them with me. 

Peridot stood beside me, though. 

Smirking, dog head waved a hand and the assembled Legionnaires started tramping out of the town, walking straight into the desert to the East. The last man in line watched us over the barrel of his rifle as he went, until he lost sight of us around the corner of the building. 

“Come on.” I whispered, grabbing Peridot and hustling us over to the house on the east side of Main Street. It was the boarding house, once a home to many of the day laborers around the town, and was fronted by a covered porch. I slung my shotgun and mounted the porch steps 2 at a time. 

“What are we doing?” 

“They’re not getting away.” 

“There’s 5 of them. Plus the dogs.” Dot protested. 

“And we’ll have surprise. Dog Head is overconfident. Thinks he can just walk away.” I shimmied onto the balcony railing, getting ready to pull myself to the roof. I was jerked to a stop as Peridot grabbed my belt. 

“Lapis, this-“ 

“60 people.” 

Peridot screwed up her face. A gamut of emotions raced across her expression before settling on something like determination. She let go of me. I pulled myself to the roof, and then helped her up. 

There was a gentle enough slope that we were able to work our way up to the peak with ease. Peeking my head over, I was able to see that the Legion had not gotten all that far. Maybe 50 yards downrange. They were confident. Though there was still the one rear guard, he did not seem to spot us, still focused on the opening that they had exited town through. The rest were marching stolidly along behind dog head. 

“I’ll take the dogs. You start from the back of the line.” I muttered, shuffling myself around to get the shotgun up next to me. Peridot nodded, having disappeared into her imminent violence chant. She was too good for this life. For me. 

You’re doing the right thing. The necessary thing. 

That had to stay in my mind. 

I’ll give him credit - when the slug took the head off the dog next to him, the Legionnaire turned and bolted back towards us even as the rest of his men were still reacting. Peridot’s first shot dropped the rear guard as he opened his mouth to shout. The rest was a blur as I pumped another 4 rounds through before I managed to take out the second dog. In the same time, Peridot downed another 2 of the Legionnaires. Where was dog head? 

The answer became uncomfortably clear as he cleared the edge of the roof in front of us at nearly the same dead sprint he had come back into town with. There was a wolf’s snarl etched into his face. I brought the shotgun around -- too slow -- only to be caught around the midriff. I found myself in air for a sickening second, and then the air was knocked out of me. Dog head had tackled me off the roof. 

And was still on me. I shook my head clear just in time to see him clearing a Ripper from his belt. The wicked little device looked like nothing so much as a hand held chainsaw, about a foot long of spinning metal teeth. 

“Profligate whore.” He howled, stabbed it towards my chest. I still had the shotgun. There was not much of an angle that I could get on him, but I whipped it around and smashed the barrel into the side of his head. That only partly deflected his aim. 

A lance of pain across my left shoulder. I dropped the shotgun, rolling away as best I could. There was blood soaking into my shirt. Working my shoulder, I leveled myself up to my feet with my uninjured arm and brought out the bat. Come to think of it, I had caught part of the nails in my thigh on the way down. Come on, stay up, Lazuli. 

Getting the bat up in front of me, I squared off with Dog Head. He had managed to shake himself out of his daze. “You’ll pay for this.” He said coldly. 

“And I’m going to wear your head like you wear that dog’s.” I roared back, finally feeling the rage that I needed. This was winnable. We circled. He was favoring his right side. Trying to draw me to him. The Ripper growled. Thunderous shots from Peridot’s rifle intermingled with the return shots of the other Legionnaire. Blood, dust and burned rubber. 

He flickered forward and I put up a flurry of strokes that drove him back. When you’re fighting with a bat against someone with what was effectively a knife, you can’t let them get inside your swing. 

We circled. 

I just needed one good hit. 

He just needed one good hit. 

He came at me again. There was an opening. I twisted to the side and smashed down into his knee. Dog head went down. I joined him, feeling light headed. Maybe it was the blood from my shoulder. 

“Caesar will use your skull as a tea cup.” He muttered, growling and trying to get his weight back onto his knee. Looking down, I realized he had tagged me across the hip. My jeans were ragged with blood, and I barely was able to force myself up. Reversing my grip, I slammed the bat down into his wrist. 

His hip. His elbow. His knee. His back. His head. His head. His head. Each solid hit sent a shockwave up my arm. 

When it was done, I let the bat drop out of my hand and wobbled my way over to the bunk house. Peridot was working her way down the slope of the roof. Once she had reached the edge, I offered her a hand down. I had to grit my teeth to keep myself standing as I took her weight. Slumping to the porch steps, I stared through Dog Head’s body. 

“Peridot?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you go check the town hall? I would, but …” 

“I’ve got it.” 

I had a few bits of gauze hidden in the bottom of my pack. They were going to have to do until we could get back to Mojave Outpost. As I was finishing getting the bleeding under control, Peridot came back and silently slumped onto the steps next to me. I eyed her stoic expression and then nodded. Though we had killed her attackers, the Legion had killed the town of Nipton in a single stroke. The desert, nature, would take its course and within a few years there would probably not be much left. There was something to be said for retribution, at least. With her help, I managed to get my wounds wrapped.

“Do you have any smokes?”

“I thought you didn’t?” I asked heavily. 

“Bad habit I picked up on the way from out East.” 

“Yeah. In my pack.” I gestured with an elbow. 

She dug for a moment, and then came up with a cigarette for both of us. Peridot flipped out a lighter and we both bent in to catch the flame. Once it had caught, Peridot scooted over and leaned against me, slowly working her way through the smoke. It was a moment of reprieve, of just being able to run my fingers through her hair and think about nothing more than the weight, the heat of her against me. 

After a time, I flicked my cigarette in an arc into the street and stood up. Retribution was going to have to be enough for the town of Nipton. It was all that I could give.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed!  
> Jingle Jangle Jingle  
> Let me know what y’all think.


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